Fitness Journey

In the beginning I was a 206lb "flabalicious" fat guy rapidly approaching the big 3-0. So, how am I doing? Today, about seven months in, I weighed 166.6lbs. Over the holidays I went back up to 178 lbs, but now I am working on reaching my goal of 159 lbs, 7% body fat, and a Ninja Warrior ready body.

How Should we Pray?

I have decided to create a mnemonic device to aid me in my prayer life. It will help me to structure and organize my prayers. The best mnemonic is usually something silly that it would be hard to forget, so I think I will go with…”ape-what.”

Awe/Praise/Equip/Will/Hunger/Another/Thanks

Awe- A certain basic thankfulness that I can come to the throne room of the Lord and present my petitions before the King.

Praise- A time to praise God for all He is and all He has done throughout the ages.

Equip- I ask that He equip me with all I need to evangelize on His behalf. That He equip me with a Christlike character capable of forgiveness, charity, and compassion.

Hunger- I present God with those things I see as the needs of myself and my family. It is here I seek God’s mercy for my sins, and here that I forgive those who have hurt me.

Will- I surrender myself to God’s plan for me and pray that whatever His will might be in my life. I also pray as Christ “your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Another- I bring to His feet the needs of our church and the persecuted church around the world. I also pray for the nonbelievers in our neighborhood, in our state, and throughout the world that they would receive the saving grace of Christ. I especially pray that those who persecute Christians would find Christ and walk with the Lord.

Thanks- I thank God for all He has done in my life.

Some things you might consider praying about, and some people you might consider praying for today:

Our Soldiers in Iraq, that God keep them safe and give them strength and wisdom; The Iraqi People as they confront a harsh environment of death and destruction; and finally the insurgents themselves, that they find Christ and give up their cruel and inhumane practices, and exchange them for the firm and saving grace of our Lord.

All those persecuted for Christ, that they stand firm in their beliefs; and all those who persecute Christians, that that find the saving knowledge of Christ’s forgiveness and the opportunity for spiritual rebirth.

All those driving on our roads- with a special recognition of the needs of the family of Mr. Braswell and his son. Both died when a drunk driver hit their car and sped off without reporting the accident.

“The university complained that the ministry had engaged in “harassment,” because its members shared their faith with other students, and “hazing,” because its leaders washed the feet, as Jesus did with his disciples, of new members during a worship service. Foot washing is an ancient Christian custom reflecting Jesus’ service and love for his disciples.”

These are just a few ideas and suggestions. But whatever you do pray for, pray without ceasing. Pray fervently and trusting that God will hear and respond to you (although expect that it often won’t take the form you expect). The world needs more prayer warriors.

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I saw a post yesterday that said Susannah Wesley (mother of 19? including John and Charles) prayed for 2 hours every day. It reminds me that I will devote the moments of my day to what is important to me. BTW – sometimes I regret the amount of time I spend on the computer but I never regret the time I spend in prayer.
Thanks for “ape-what”! I bet I will remember that one!

Yes, it is amazing she devoted so much time to pray. From what I understand she achieved it by teaching her children to care for each other in the “practical” areas so she could devote time to the training, instruction, prayer etc…. It was the prototype for Methodism (her sons John and Charles). Her children also remembered that if she could not find time to get away to pray, she would “throw her apron up over her head” in order to shut out the distractions around her and pray. What a picture! That just cracks me up. I’m more of a distressed jeans and t-shirt kind of girl so I don’t know if that will work for me.